Previously this week we had a speaker to discuss privacy and social networking online, especially through a site like Facebook. We discussed the nuances of friending teachers and authority figures, keeping personal and public lives separate, and maintaining privacy with an online presence.

Peer pressure takes a new form online, with pressure to post new statuses with every new thought or activity. “Eating a snack” or “loved ‘Inception!'” are common posts, and as everyone is omnipresent, comments and likes are instantaneous. The amount of feedback for even the smallest statements creates the idea that everyone’s voice is equally important and that every minute piece of information is valuable, when in fact, some posts are unnecessarily obscure or mundane.

With the shadow of college admissions looming overhead and teachers as friends, privacy becomes an even bigger issue. Each post about incomplete homework assignment and photo of underage drinking creates a public image that isn’t very school-friendly. College admission officers may look at profiles of prospective students, provided they are public, and develop a distasteful opinion of his or her personal habits. Teachers may have too much information about their students’ lives outside of school.

Privacy also becomes an issue when private parties, gatherings, or events gets splashed publicly in terms of photos and videos via Facebook and YouTube, leaving many unhappy uninvited friends and one host to deal with the backlash. Now that there are cameras everywhere with ubiquitous cell phones, is it socially unacceptable to be exclusive?

As digital immigrants to a culture pervaded by social media, we can only learn to adapt quickly and learn things as they come. But what about future generations? They will be born into a world of Twitter and Tumblr, taking these social media for granted. They will learn to use these tools from an early age, and it will be interesting to see what ensues.